General Program Information
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Accredited by: Commission Collegiate on Nursing Education (CCNE)
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree program prepares a generalist in nursing with leadership skills, basic research abilities, and a holistic health approach to professional nursing with a focus on the community. A broad foundation in science and liberal arts enables the professional nurse to enter into the collaborative health care process in a variety of settings.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is the foundation for professional nursing practice. The professional nurse practices in collaboration with other health care providers and is responsible for coordinating and practicing comprehensive nursing care for individuals, families, groups, and communities, and assuming management and leadership positions in nursing practice.
A course of study that meets the degree requirements and the university’s General Education Program Requirements will be planned with the student through regular advising sessions each semester.
Students who complete the baccalaureate degree program, and are not already licensed registered nurses, will write the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Graduates of the nursing program who have been convicted of a violation of the law other than a minor traffic violation (i.e., misdemeanor and/or felony) may be denied a license to practice as a registered nurse by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Questions about eligibility for licensure should be directed to the Tennessee Board of Nursing (1-888-778-4123).
Advanced Placement for R.N. Students
To facilitate the education of registered nurses, the College of Nursing has developed an upper division sequence of courses leading to the B.S.N. degree. Eligible graduates of diploma and associate degree nursing programs who are seeking additional study in nursing may be given advanced standing by articulation, challenge examination, and/or validation processes.
Eligible R.N. students are admitted in the fall semester (deadline for application is June 1st; however, applications are accepted until classes are filled). Eligible applicants will be rank-ordered by college level grade point average; admission will be offered to the top ranked applicants and may be limited by space availability. Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space available basis. Eligible applicants who are not admitted may apply for the next available class. In addition to meeting GPA and science grade requirements, the applicant must be a graduate of an accredited program and hold active licensure as an RN in Tennessee or a compact state. Graduates of diploma and non-accredited programs must also have a minimum of 35 hours of specified courses to be eligible for the major. Coursework must include: English composition – 6 semester credits; Natural Science – 8 semester credits; Behavioral/Social Sciences – 6 semester credits; General education/electives – 15 semester credits. Credit may be earned by taking the courses from a regionally accredited institution or by taking departmental challenge examinations or equivalency examinations such as CLEP.
Students must satisfy a residency requirement of not less than two semesters during the junior and senior years, including the last full semester. This shall be a minimum of 30 hours. Not less than 12 semester hours may be counted as a semester of residence. Courses taken at ETSU off-campus centers are classified as residence credit. A minimum of 50 semester hours of credit must have been completed in a senior-level college or university. The R.N./ B.S.N. major requires 32 semester credits. These 32 credits will partially fulfill the university requirement of 50 semester credits having been completed in a senior-level college or institution and can usually be satisfied while completing the general education requirements. Therefore, an additional 18 semester credits must be completed at a senior-level college or university and can usually be satisfied while completing the general education requirements.
All nursing courses transferred into ETSU, in which a grade of C (2.0) or higher was earned, will be transferred in as elective courses and will count as elective credit in partial fulfillment of the B.S.N. degree requirements. Non-nursing credits are transferred and evaluated according to the policies of East Tennessee State University.
Upon successful completion of NRSE 3120 Professional Community-Based Nursing, NRSE 2030 - Health Assessment , and NRSE 3010 - Pharmacology for Nursing , the student will be awarded 39 semester credits in nursing; NRSE 3030 , NRSE 3031 , NRSE 4040 , NRSE 4041 , NRSE 4050 , NRSE 4051 , NRSE 3070 , NRSE 3071 , NRSE 3080 , NRSE 3081 , NRSE 3090 , and NRSE 3091 . Students graduating from a community college where ETSU has an Articulation Agreement will receive seven (7) semester hours credit upon successful completion of NRSE 2030 and NRSE 3120.
New “cohorts” of students form each fall at Johnson City, Sevierville, Kingsport, Knoxville, and Cleveland, Tennessee. Candidates should schedule an academic advising session with a College of Nursing advisor to plan their program of study.
Return to: